Dave Carter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dave Carter
Background information
Birth name	David Robert Carter
Born	(1952-08-13)August 13, 1952 Oxnard, California, U.S.
Died	July 19, 2002(2002-07-19) (aged 49) Hadley, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres	Folk
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals Guitar Banjo Piano
Years active	1995–2002
Labels	Signature Sounds
Associated acts	Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer Tracy Grammer Blue Cliff Ensemble

Dave Carter (born August 13, 1952 – died July 19, 2002) was an American folk music singer and songwriter. He was known for his unique style, which he called "post-modern mythic American folk music."

Dave Carter was part of a music duo with Tracy Grammer. Together, they were seen as a fresh new voice in modern folk music. They were even ranked number one on the Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart for "Top Artists" in 2001 and 2002. Even after Dave's sudden death in 2002, his music and popularity have continued to grow. Famous singer Joan Baez praised Dave's songs, comparing them to the early work of Bob Dylan. She said his songs were very special and easy for others to connect with.

Dave's songs were often admired for their beautiful words, spiritual ideas, and interesting stories. They also kept a strong connection to the country music he grew up with in the southern United States. Tracy Grammer has worked hard to keep Dave's memory alive. She has released songs and recordings that they were working on before he passed away.

Dave's Early Life and Learning

Dave Carter was born in Oxnard, California. His dad was a mathematician and an engineer, and his mom was a science teacher. Dave grew up in Oklahoma and Texas. These places and his rural upbringing inspired many of his songs.

He started learning classical piano when he was four years old. Around age 12, he switched to playing the guitar. When he was 17, he left home to travel across the country, especially in the Midwestern United States.

Dave went to the University of Oklahoma and earned degrees in music (playing the cello) and fine arts. Later, he moved to Portland, Oregon, and studied mathematics at Portland State University. He even started an advanced degree in math. However, he soon realized that music and other interests were his true calling.

He then studied "the psychology of mystical experience" at special institutes in California. He also worked as a computer programmer for several years. In the mid-1990s, he decided to focus on music full-time. Dave was greatly influenced by the writer Joseph Campbell and the American mystic Carlos Castaneda. He also found inspiration in the American landscape, old stories about King Arthur, nature, and deep psychology.

Working with Tracy Grammer

Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer

Before Dave Carter passed away, he and Tracy Grammer released three albums together. These were When I Go (1998), Tanglewood Tree (2000), and Drum Hat Buddha (2001).

In early 2002, they re-recorded many songs from an earlier album called Snake Handlin' Man. They also added two new songs. This new CD, named Seven Is the Number, was released by Tracy Grammer in 2006.

Tracy Grammer also put together a collection of their holiday songs called American Noel, which came out in 2008. In 2012, Tracy worked with Red House Records to release "Little Blue Egg". They also released a special limited-edition collection called "Joy My Love". This included recordings and rare demo songs from Dave and Tracy's home studio.

Dave's Passing and Tributes

Dave Carter passed away suddenly on July 19, 2002. He had a major heart attack in a hotel room in Hadley, Massachusetts. He and Tracy Grammer were planning to perform at the Green River Festival that weekend. They also had many other folk festivals and clubs booked for the summer. Dave was 49 years old.

His death was a big shock to the folk music community. Many people believed that Dave and Tracy were on their way to even greater success. Jim Olsen, who was the president of their record label, Signature Sounds, said that he thought a major star would eventually discover Dave's music. He believed that once people heard Dave's songs, they would become fans for life.

Another folk singer and journalist, Matt Watroba, wrote that Dave was already "something big." He said that Dave touched the lives of those who knew him or his music in a powerful way. This led to many tributes and expressions of love after his death.

Tracy Grammer decided to go ahead with their planned performance at the 2002 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival the following week. A special tribute concert was organized there. Many artists who admired Dave sang his songs. Some highlights included Chris Smither singing "Crocodile Man" and Mark Erelli singing "Cowboy Singer." The Kennedys performed "Happytown," and Eddie From Ohio sang "Farewell to Saint Dolores." Tracy Grammer opened the show with "The Mountain" and closed it with "Gentle Soldier of My Soul."

Since then, several artists have written songs to honor Dave. In 2005, Tracy Grammer released Flower of Avalon. This album included nine songs by Dave that had not been recorded before.

Dave's Songwriting

Many other artists have performed songs written by Dave Carter. Some famous examples include Judy Collins and Willie Nelson singing "When I Go." Joan Baez covered "The Mountain," and Lucy Kaplansky sang "Cowboy Singer." Chris Smither also performed "Crocodile Man."

One of Dave's songs, "Gentle Arms of Eden," was even added to the hymnal (songbook) of at least one church. Tracy Grammer recorded more of Dave's songs on her 2005 album Flower of Avalon.

Dave Carter was the first winner of the songwriting contest at the Sisters Folk Festival in 1995. In 2005, the contest was renamed the Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest. This was done to honor his first win and his support for the festival over the years. Dave also won other songwriting awards, including the Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition in 1998. He also won the Wildflower Performing Songwriter Award and the Napa Valley Folk Festival Emerging Songwriter Award in the same year.

Dave Carter's Music Albums

• Snake Handlin' Man, Dave Carter (released by himself, 1995, no longer printed)
• When I Go, Dave Carter with Tracy Grammer (released by himself 1998, then by Signature Sounds 2002)
• Tanglewood Tree, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (Signature Sounds, 2000)
• Drum Hat Buddha, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (Signature Sounds, 2001)
• Seven Is the Number Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (Tracy Grammer Music, 2006)
• American Noel Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (Signature Sounds, 2008)
• Little Blue Egg Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (Red House Records, 2012–2017)
• Joy My Love Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (Red House Records, 2012–2017) (a special shorter album)

Songs by Dave Carter Sung by Others

Here are some songs written by Dave Carter that other artists have performed:

• Flower of Avalon (Signature Sounds, 2005–2019 / Tracy Grammer Music), by Tracy Grammer. This album includes nine songs by Dave that were not recorded before.
• "The Mountain", in 2001 concerts, by Joan Baez
• "The River Where She Sleeps", from A Crooked Line (2001), by Darryl Purpose
• "Tanglewood Tree", from Clearwater (2002), by Chris and Meredith Thompson
• "Crocodile Man", from Train Home (Hightone Records, 2003), by Chris Smither
• "Farewell to St. Dolores", Gambling Eden (2003), by Rani Arbo
• "Gentle Arms of Eden", from Temporary Stay (2003), by Pat Wictor
• "Gentle Arms of Eden", from Side of the Road (2003), by Ellis Paul and Vance Gilbert
• "Walkin' Away from Caroline", from God's Poet Now, (2003, a short album to help the Dave Carter Memorial Fund), by Erik Balkey
• "Cat Eye Willie Claims His Lover", from Sweet Mystery of Life (2004), by Full Frontal Folk
• "Cowboy Singer", from The Red Thread (Red House Records, 2004), by Lucy Kaplansky
• "Gentle Soldier of My Soul", from Paintbrush (2004), by Diane Zeigler
• "The Mountain", LIVE (2004), by Chris and Meredith Thompson
• "Quickdraw Southpaw's Last Hurrah", from One Horse Town (2005), by Jim Henry
• "When I Go", from Bristlecone Pine (2006), by Bryan Bowers
• "Happytown (It's Alright with Me)" and "Gypsy Rose", from Songs of the Open Road (Appleseed Recordings, 2006), by The Kennedys
• "When I Go", from Stand (2003), by The Kennedys
• "When I Go", from Heaven is So High and I'm So Far Down (RiskyDisk, 2006), by Pat Wictor
• "Gun Metal Eyes", from Liberty Tree (Songs from the Kitchen Table) (2007), by Mission Street Project
• "Kate and the Ghost of Lost Love", from Open The Gate (2007) by Sense of Wonder
• "When I Go" from Live (2003), by Ronny Cox
• "The Mountain" from Not Far Now (2009) by Richard Shindell
• "Tanglewood Tree" from Wicked Girls (2010) by Seanan McGuire
• "Girl from Golden" from Next Time Around (2012) by Darryl Purpose
• "Gentle Arms of Eden" from Horsetamer (2013) by Julia Ecklar
• "Farewell to Saint Dolores" from The Pine Hill Project (2015) by Richard Shindell & Lucy Kaplansky
• "When I Go" from Strangers Again (2015) by Judy Collins featuring Willie Nelson

Songs Written to Honor Dave Carter

These songs were written by other artists as tributes to Dave Carter:

• "The Verdant Mile", from The Verdant Mile (Tracy Grammer Music, 2004), by Tracy Grammer
• "Between Here and Gone," from Between Here and Gone (2004) by Mary Chapin Carpenter
• "Friend of the Coyote", from Kickin' This Stone (2004), by Johnsmith
• "So Says the Whippoorwill", from Vuelta (Signature Sounds, 2004), by Richard Shindell
• "God's Poet Now", from God's Poet Now (2003), by Erik Balkey
• "Wheel Inside the Wheel", from Mercy Now (2004), by Mary Gauthier
• "Tribute", from From the Hazel Tree (written 2002, recorded 2004), written by Catherine Faber, recorded by Echo's Children
• "I Shall Not Look Away", from Tiger Tattoo (Waterbug Records, 2002), by Andrew Calhoun
• "Willow", from Open The Gate (2007), by Sense of Wonder
• "Dave's Song", from White Bird (2003), by Emily Kurn
• "Oklahoma Spirit Guide", from Spirit Guide (2006, Redbud Hill), by Randy Auxier
• "Where Did You Go?" from Sunset Waltz (2008), by Pat Wictor

Images for kids

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  Dave Carter

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  Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer